Gluten free strawberries and custard celebration cake

This cake is my go to cake if I want to whip up something quickly and can look as impressive as you want it to look. I use it for Birthday cakes covered with buttercream and fondant or as shown here with cream to decorate but you can decorate it with whatever filling you like. It is delicious filled with all sorts of jam, curd or fruit too. 

In this cake I have used three tins but you can just adjust the measurements accordingly. I have given instructions for a smaller cake too. My tins are very old and are only 19cm across but if you can only get 20cm tins then it should be fine, only slightly thinner. Mine do come out quite deep.

Ingredients

For three tier sponge

340g caster sugar

340g gluten free self raising flour ( I use Doves farm or Freee foods as it is now known)

340g butter or margarine 

6 eggs

For the custard filling and icing

600ml double cream

100g icing sugar

30g cornflour 

1/2 tsp almond extract and I use Taylor and Colledge vanilla bean grinder for extra flavour and vanilla flecks 

Or

600ml double cream and a few spoonfuls of ready made custard and extra vanilla 

Or

600ml double cream and a tblsp custard powder (making sure it is gluten free) 

Strawberries. sliced to fill the layers

3x 19 cm round tins

Or

For two tiers

225g caster sugar

225g gluten free self raising flour (I use Doves Farm or Freee foods as it is now known)

225g butter or margarine

4 eggs

2x 19cm round tins

METHOD

1. Grease and line your tins with baking parchment.

2. Preheat oven to 180C/ gas mark 4

3. I use the all in one method which for those that do not know this it is basically pop it all in a bowl and mix until light and creamy. I use a free standing mixer with the paddle blade attached but you could also use a food processor or a hand held electric mixer. If you don't have any of those then a wooden spoon and lots of elbow grease should do the job but use a slightly different method, the one you would use for a victoria sponge cake, cream butter and sugar together first until pale and creamy and then add in the eggs gradually alternating with a spoonful of flour after each egg to prevent curdling, then add in remainder of the flour. 

4. Divide the mix equally between the tins. 

5. Bake for 20-25 mins until it is golden and a knife or skewer comes out clean when inserted.

6.  Leave to cool for five minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

7. Once cool sandwich the sponges together with filling of your choice and decorate just the top, or the stop and sides. In this case I have layered it with the custard cream and also with sliced strawberries. 

Custard filling

1. If using the custard filling then to make it first sieve the icing sugar and cornflour together

2. Beat the double cream until it holds soft peaks with an electric whisk or hand held whisk , being careful not to over whisk.

3. Then gradually sift in the icing sugar and cornflour mix and beat until blended in. Add in the vanilla flavouring to taste.

4. Once the cake is cold layer the custard cream between the layers with some strawberries and also cover the top and sides. refrigerate if not eating straight away if you have used the cream to decorate. 

5. If using ready made custard then whisk the double cream until it holds soft peaks and then whisk in  the ready made custard. This icing pipes really well. Fill, cover the top and sides.

6. If using the custard powder then add in the same way as the homemade powder and use in the same way as that smoothing it onto the cake.